Goal 16 promotes peace and justice, and accountable and inclusive institutions. Targets include reducing violence, particularly against children, reducing corruption and bribery, increasing transparency of institutions and access to justice. While some countries still face prolonged armed conflict, many regions have enjoyed increased levels of peace and security. According to the World Bank, the global rate of homicide fell from six to five per 100,000 people between 2012 and 2015. This said, people in some regions – Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia – face an increased risk of murder. Various forms of violence against children persist. In 76 countries (mostly developing), about 80% of children under 14 were subjected to psychological aggression and/ or physical punishment on a regular basis between 2005 and 2016. While countries have made progress in detecting human trafficking, nearly 30% of all victims detected in 2014 were children. One in four companies in low and lower-middle income countries have experienced requests for bribes and informal payments from officials. In the worst affected economies nearly 50% of firms have been asked for payment to conduct their business.

Technology in action

Seeking data partners | Designers | Journalists

U-Report

U-Report is a mobile empowerment programme that connects young people all over the world to their governments and decision makers, shares …

Simprints

Opportunities & Challenges

While progress has been made towards achieving more stable and secure societies, significant challenges remain.

Transparent and traceable supply chains: Human rights is a significant supply chain risk for companies, and consumer and regulatory pressure is growing on companies to be able to trace products from their origins throughout the supply chain.

Governance: Improving the effectiveness and transparency of governments is necessary to uphold justice and peace and reduce bribery and corruption. Globally, two-thirds of countries face endemic corruption in the public sector, and there is a clear connection between corruption and inequality.

Creating safer communities: Violence is one of the leading causes of death globally for persons aged 15 to 44. Developing safe and secure communities is essential to achieving many of the other Goals, notably education, gender equality, well-being and reduced poverty.

Freedom of expression and opposition: Freedom House finds that 2016 marked the 11th consecutive year of decline in global freedom across political rights and civil liberties. The Committee to Protect Journalists finds that countries which lack freedom of expression are likely to be governed by an individual, and have media under total state control with zero tolerance for negative coverage.

Technology and security concerns: Technology is creating a new set of global security concerns. Cybercrime and economic espionage is estimated to cost the world more than $445 billion every year, equal to 1% of global income. Technology is also revolutionizing modern warfare, prompting Elon Musk, Mustafa Suleyman and other technology leaders to urge a ban on autonomous weapons.

Ultimately, the only way to solve problems at the level of institutions is through systems which ensure transparency.James Hodson, AI for Good

AI will be crucial to make sense of the enormous amount of data collected across institutions.Philip Sparks, Arm

AI will be crucial to make sense of the enormous amount of data collected across institutions.Philip Sparks, Arm

Technology offers the chance to open the black box of government and promotes greater democratization via public participation in and co-creation of public services.Mark Thompson, Judge Business School

90%Of city dwellers breathed air that did not comply with WHO standards

60%Of energy consumption is from cities

70%Of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050

50% of the world's population currently live in cities

Rapid urbanization
has brought many challenges
including air pollution, an
increase in slums and pressure on
basic services and infrastructure. Unplanned urban sprawl
undermines other factors of
sustainable development.
For example, with every 10%
increase in sprawl, there is nearly
a 10% increase in per capita
hazardous pollution. The majority of urban
centers lack current information
on the indicators for Goal 11, and
better data is necessary to inform
planning decisions.

Next generation, post-silicon sensors can power smart cities and smart water management by assessing water quality and quantity from the outside of pipes. Jody Ranck, RAM Group